Begonia plant named ‘Yamance’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Begonia,  ‘Yamance’, characterized by its large pink flowers, its compact, freely branched, and spreading to cascading plant habit and its vigorous growth habit.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Pat. application Ser. No. 12/008,332 filed for a cultivar derived from the same parentage entitled Begonia Plant Named ‘Yagance’.

Botanical classification: Begonia hybrida.

Cultivar designation: ‘Yamance’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant of hybrid origin, botanically known as Begonia ‘Yamance’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Yamance’.

The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventor at his nursery in Congleton, Cheshire, U.K. The overall purpose of the breeding program is to make selections of Begonia plants with compact plant habits suitable for basket and patio containers. ‘Yamance’ was selected as a single unique plant in 2005 and derived from a cross made between an unnamed proprietary plant of Begonia hybrid as the female parent plant and Begonia boliviensis ‘Yabos’ (U.S. Plant Pat. application Ser. No. 11/445,753) as the male parent.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by terminal stem cuttings in Congleton, Cheshire, U.K. in 2005 by the inventor. It has been determined that the characteristics of this cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar, which in combination distinguish ‘Yamance’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia.

-   -   1. ‘Yamance’ exhibits single, large pink flowers.     -   2. ‘Yamance’ readily produces side shoots.     -   3. ‘Yamance’ exhibits a compact, spreading habit that becomes         cascading.     -   4. ‘Yamance’ has a vigorous growth habit.

In comparison, the unnamed female parent of ‘Yamance’ differs from ‘Yamance’ in having double flowers and the male parent, ‘Yabos’, differs from ‘Yamance’ in having smaller flowers that are red-orange in color. ‘Yagance’, its sibling selection, differs from ‘Yamance’ in having bi-color pink and white flowers. ‘Yamance’ can also be compared to ‘Bonfire’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,108), which differs from ‘Yamance’ in having flowers that are red.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Begonia. The photographs were taken in September of a plant approximately 6 months in age as grown in a two-liter container in Swavesey, Campbridgeshire, U.K.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Yamance’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Yamance’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of plants of the new cultivar approximately 6 months in age as grown in two-liter containers under greenhouse conditions with ambient light in Congleton, Cheshire, U.K. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with the 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General plant characteristics:     -   -   Plant type.—Deciduous tuberous perennial, grown primarily             for use in baskets and containers.         -   Plant habit.—Compact, spreading becoming cascading.         -   Flowering period.—From April to November.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 25 cm in height and about             57 cm in spread.         -   Cold hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zone 10.         -   Culture.—Grows in any commercial soil or growing media, 12             hours of light is needed for production in the winter             months.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fleshy to fibrous with tubers produced for             over-wintering.         -   Tubers.—Unevenly globose in shape with upper surface often             flattened or slightly depressed in the center, average of 80             mm in diameter (larger on older plants), surface is somewhat             lobed and slightly corky, color between 199C and 199D. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.         -   Propagation.—Terminal stem cuttings.         -   Time required for root development.—10 to 14 days at 22° C.         -   Time required for root development.—5 to 8 weeks to reach             commercial size. -   Stem description:     -   -   Stem size.—Average of 30 cm in length and 1 cm in width with             lateral branches about 4 mm in width.         -   Stem shape.—Round, solid.         -   Stem color.—195A when shaded and 181A in full sun.         -   Stem surface.—Smooth, glabrous but weakly glaucous,             lenticels absent.         -   Internode length.—Average of 2.3 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branched on non-flowering nodes.         -   Branching angle at emergence.—About 45°. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Lanceolate, strongly asymmetric with one side             wider than the other.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Rounded on narrower side, cordate on wider side.         -   Leaf apex.—Acuminate.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color upper surface; closest to             137C, color lower surface; closest to 195B.         -   Leaf margins.—Serrate with sharp bristles emerging from tips             of the teeth.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface and lower surface; glabrous.         -   Leaf color.—Upper surface; closest to 137A, lower surface;             147C near veins and tinged with 175B between veins.         -   Leaf size.—Average of 10 cm in length and 3.2 cm in width.         -   Leaf fragrance.—None.         -   Petioles.—About 1.3 cm in length and 2 mm in width, surface             is very sparsely to moderately pubescent with simple hairs,             color 177B.         -   Stipules.—Ovate-triangular in shape, nearest 181C in color             and rapidly becoming dry and papery, about 6 mm in length             and 3 mm in width. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—2 to 3 flowered cyme produced             sequentially in the axils of the upper leaves, monoecious             with terminal male flowers developing before the lateral             female flowers.         -   Flower persistence.—Self-cleaning.         -   Flower type.—Single, funnel formed with un-fused tepals.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Peduncles.—3.7 cm in length and 2 mm in width, 179A in             color, surface is glabrous.         -   Bracts.—Typically 2, present at base of cyme, broadly ovate             to round in shape and curled around pedicel, shallowly bifid             apex, about 8 mm in length and 7 mm in width, 180B in color,             margin is finely serrated on half towards apex. -   Male flowers:     -   -   Pedicels.—About 2.2 cm in length and 2 mm in width, 34A in             color, surface is glabrous.         -   Flower buds.—Flattened ovoid in shape, about 3.3 cm in             length and 1.5 mm in width, 43A in color.         -   Flower size.—About 4.3 cm in length and 5.5 cm in width.         -   Flower aspect.—Hanging with flared unfused tepals.         -   Outer tepals.—2, ovate in shape, obtuse apex, rounded base,             average of 3.9 cm in length and 1.7 mm in width, glabrous             and smooth surface, entire margin, outer and inner surface             is 441B.         -   Inner tepals.—2, linear in shape recurving slightly towards             apex, acute apex, narrow cuneate base, average of 4.9 cm in             length and 1 cm in width, glabrous and smooth surface,             entire margin, color of outer and inner surface is 41B.         -   Stamens.—Connate below forming a tube, about 2.3 cm in             overall length length with tube portion 1.8 cm in length and             1.3 mm in width, 163A in color, numerous in number.         -   Filaments.—About 3 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width, 163A in             color.         -   Anthers.—Broadly elliptic in shape, about 1 mm in length and             <1 mm in width, 163A in color.         -   Pollen.—Abundant, 8C in color. -   Female flowers:     -   -   Pedicels.—About 3.0 cm in length and 1.5 mm in width, 34A in             color, glabrous surface.         -   Flower buds.—Flattened ovate in shape, about 2.3 cm in             length and 1 cm in width, closest to 43A in color.         -   Flower aspect.—Hanging with flared unfused tepals.         -   Flower size.—About 3.5 cm in length and 4.5 cm in width.         -   Outer tepals.—2, ovate in shape, acute apex, rounded base,             average of 3.5 cm in length and 1.2 mm in width, glabrous             and smooth surface, entire margin, color of and inner             surface is 41B.         -   Inner tepals.—3, narrow-obovate to linear in shape recurving             slightly towards apex, obtuse-truncate apex, narrow cuneate             base, average of 3.9 cm in length and 1 cm in width,             glabrous and smooth surface, entire margin, color of outer             surface and inner surface is 41B.         -   Styles.—3, cylindrical, connate for basal 1 mm, about 4 mm             in length and <1 mm in width, 40A in color.         -   Stigmas.—Bifid in shape, lobes about 7 mm in length and <1             mm in width, 26B in color.         -   Ovaries.—Inferior, triangular in cross section with unequal             wings, about 9 mm in length and 7 mm in width (excluding             wings), color is 178D changing to 42A at apex of wings.         -   Seed.—Very numerous, ovate-elliptic in shape, to small to             measure, N167B in color. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant named ‘Yamance’ as herein illustrated and described. 